Chicken acting strangely

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PJM

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Chicken acting strangely
« on: April 20, 2017, 18:27 »
Has anyone any idea what might be wrong with my elderly Bantam Hen. Today she has started throwing her head back and turning it from side to side, after a couple of minutes she will stop and get back to scratching around and foraging. Is it something I should worry about? Or is it a trip to the vet tomorrow?

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Mum2mj

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Re: Chicken acting strangely
« Reply #1 on: April 20, 2017, 22:51 »
Have you checked for gape worm perhaps?

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grinling

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Re: Chicken acting strangely
« Reply #2 on: April 21, 2017, 18:49 »
when was she last deloused as they might be causing her problems around the ears. check for little yellow 3mm moving objects.

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Rhys

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Re: Chicken acting strangely
« Reply #3 on: April 22, 2017, 01:24 »
Have you checked for gape worm perhaps?

One of our chuckies died of gapeworm. She was diagnosed too late and we couldn't get the Flubenvet powder in time. All the rest were treated though and didn't get it. Our local county store wanted to sell the Flubenvet treated food, but were unable they get a licence and did don't stock that particular brand or something. Not even Diatemacious earth will touch gapeworm, we tried.  :(
« Last Edit: April 22, 2017, 01:25 by Rhys »
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eeyoretigger

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Re: Chicken acting strangely
« Reply #4 on: April 26, 2017, 00:22 »
Try feeding live maggots to chucks. They'll eat ANYTHING inside crop & tummy, although are very wriggly, fast & yucky. Put them on concrete rather than grass where they'll vanish almost instantly. Fish bait shops sell them.
Chucks will be extra hungry next day or two.
Sadly some of my chucks have died of neurological probs; couple by stroke, one turning in circles for a full day until vet "did the necessary" he says birds & neuro problems are very common indeed.
Hope it's something simple though x

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8doubles

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Re: Chicken acting strangely
« Reply #5 on: April 26, 2017, 09:42 »
Try feeding live maggots to chucks. They'll eat ANYTHING inside crop & tummy, although are very wriggly, fast & yucky. Put them on concrete rather than grass where they'll vanish almost instantly. Fish bait shops sell them.
Chucks will be extra hungry next day or two.
Sadly some of my chucks have died of neurological probs; couple by stroke, one turning in circles for a full day until vet "did the necessary" he says birds & neuro problems are very common indeed.
Hope it's something simple though x

Any maggot swallowed by a hen is an ex maggot PDQ and not an effective cure for anything except hunger ! ;)

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PJM

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Re: Chicken acting strangely
« Reply #6 on: April 26, 2017, 20:28 »
Thanks for the replies. Sadly she didn't make it. I took her to the vets, who gave her a really good examination, but could not find anything wrong. The vet looked for lice, but to be honest I would have been horrified if she had found any as I was always well on top of de liceing and worming. The coop was always clean and feeders and drinkers washed, but it was heartbreaking to see her like that. So I took the decision to have her humanely put to sleep. It is strange though not going to the run first thing everyday to give her/them some treats before setting off to work. But they all had quite long and very happy lives.

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eeyoretigger

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Re: Chicken acting strangely
« Reply #7 on: April 27, 2017, 07:25 »
I'm really sorry to hear that but I'm sure it's nothing you did or didn't do for her.
As before, our Specialist Avian Veterinarians state that neurological problems are VERY common in birds from peacocks to hawks to chucks.  (& recommend maggot feeding to rule out crop / intestinal disorders).

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grinling

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Re: Chicken acting strangely
« Reply #8 on: April 27, 2017, 16:32 »
sorry to hear the news.



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